I haven’t written many songs lately.
A friend asked me recently if I was still
writing, and I had to be honest. Not much.
It’s not because I don’t want
to or even because I don’t have any ideas to pen.
I simply haven’t had time.
Life with a 3-month-old, a 13-year-old, and
a full-time job keep me quite busy.
It’s
amazing and I wouldn’t change a thing but the days go by so fast I don’t even
always realize how much time passes between attempts to sit and write or even
just sit and worship.
If you have kids
you can probably relate. Fortunately, my daughter loves music so that
definitely helps.
One thing I have
managed to keep doing, is serving in church worship, a few Sundays a month thanks
to an amazing husband and an amazing church nursery.
A few Sundays ago, during worship, I heard
the Lord say very clearly “I am not afraid of anything.
Nothing makes me anxious”.
To explain, I have struggled pretty severely
with anxiety since the baby was born.
I
have struggled the last few years but the hormones and exhaustion have caused
it to escalate some.
I have been
working hard, through prayer, and really focusing on the triggers and causes to
try and work through it, but it’s still hard almost daily.
So, this Sunday…. These words spoke to me
in a biiiiiig way.
The Lord often
speaks to me in times of worship which is why I know that it is important to
make time for it.
But I have also been reminded
lately that there are different ways to worship, when song isn’t an option.
Last week I led worship in the Middle School
classroom and as I was preparing, those words He spoke were echoing in my head. Lord led me to the passage in Psalm 46,
verse 10 that reminds us, “He says, “Be Still, and know that I am God; I will
be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.””
I thought about this passage, and what it means to Be Still.
I decided to dig a little in scripture and
came across these additional passages regarding this command to Be Still.
Exodus 14:13-14
“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm
and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.
The Egyptians you see today you will never
see again.
The Lord will fight for you,
you need only to be still.””
Psalm 37:7
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not
fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked
schemes.”
Psalm 4:4-5
“Tremble and do not sin; When you are on your beds, search
your hearts and be silent.
Offer the
sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.”
In general, I don’t like being still.
I like to be doing.
I call myself a busy body because I enjoy having
tasks, and projects, working and moving pretty much all the time.
But truthfully, I don’t think that’s what
the scripture is commanding in the above passages.
Taken literally, as we often do in the English
translations, that seems like the logical referral.
But when you break down the Hebrew words and
what they tell us, it shines a light on the true meaning of Being Still.
Psalm 46:10 the Hebrew word used here is raphah.
It means to cease, or let alone.
To become feeble or to let drop.
In this verse, in this context we are being
commanded to stop.
To literally
remember our humanness and drop what we are trying so hard to hold onto with
our human hands.
To remember who God is,
and let Him be God.
We try so hard to
fix things ourselves, to take all of the workload onto our own shoulders when
God is more than big enough, more than strong enough, more than able…and
willing, to do it for us.
Exodus 14:13-14 the Hebrew word is yatsab.
It means to stay in one place, to remain, to
continue.
Here the Israelites are being
reminded that if they want to see the Lord move, they need to get out of His
way.
To stay put and wait on Him to
move instead of rushing ahead out of fear and trying to make things happen in
their own strength. Taking action with an anxious heart often leads to disaster. Instead we are reminded to wait on the Lord.
Psalm 37:7 the Hebrew word is damam.
Is means to rest, to hold peace, to quiet oneself.
I imagine it to be like a screaming child,
throwing a tantrum, and our Father gently saying, “It’s ok, I have you, calm
down.
You don’t have to be afraid.
Take a deep breath, stop being upset and let
me handle it”.
Psalm 4:4-5 is the same Hebrew word as the above,
damam.
Scripture uses the word silent
here, but again we are commanded to hold peace, to quiet oneself.
This word also means to be dumbfounded or
astonished.
This passage reminds us to
be thankful, and humble before the Lord.
And not to sin, by walking in fear but rather trust in the Almighty who
is more than able, and remember just who He is and what He is capable of.
I am so thankful for the Words Be Still.
I am so thankful that we serve a God who knew
our nature well enough to remind us more than once that we need to stop, quiet
ourselves, let alone our agenda, stay put, and wait on Him.
Even in the chaos of life, those are truths
that bring freedom from fear.